[Cover Illustration] BATTLE DAMAGE Dar Tarus called in alarm, “We can’t alter our course—the ship is useless!” Almost at the same instant, one of my bullets found and extinguished the enemy searchlight. Our craft was out of control, running swiftly toward a collision with the Toonolian flyer. I asked Dar Tarus if our ship was beyond repair. His reply was that it would take hours—in which time the whole Toonolian air patrol would be upon us. “Then we must have another ship!” I said. I pointed at the enemy craft. “We shall not have to look far.” Dar Tarus shrugged. “Why not? It would be a glorious fight . . . and a worthy death!” Edgar Rice Burroughs MARS NOVELS A PRINCESS OF MARS (#1) THE GODS OF MARS (#2) THE WARLORD OF MARS (#3) THUVIA, MAID OF MARS (#4) THE CHESSMEN OF MARS (#5) THE MASTER MIND OF MARS (#6) A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS (#7) SWORDS OF MARS (#8) SYNTHETIC MEN OF MARS (#9) LLANA OF GATHOL (#10) JOHN CARTER OF MARS (#11) THE MASTER MIND OF MARS Edgar Rice Burroughs _The Master Mind of Mars_ was first published in _Amazing Stories Annual_ magazine, Volume I, number 1 on July 15, 1927. Copyright © 1927 Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. ISBN 0-345-33424-8 C O N T E N T S CHAPTER PAGE A Letter 7 I The House of the Dead 10 II Preferment 20 III Valla Dia 28 IV The Compact 42 V Danger 53 VI Suspicions 61 VII Escape 72 VIII Hands Up! 81 IX The Palace of Mu Tel 92 X Phundahl 106 XI Xaxa 116 XII The Great Tur 129 XIII Back to Thavas 140 XIV John Carter 150 A LETTER HELIUM, June 8th, 1925 MY DEAR MR. BURROUGHS: